We Are Young | Brooke and Elliot
“People seem to write anything these days because of social media. Maybe there will be a couple of tweets or Facebook statuses about the legend in the suit but I’m afraid to say that they won’t come from me. I don’t really use any of that stuff,” she explained. Even though he asked it jokingly, Brooke was still surprised by Elliot’s question. She wasn’t going to tell him the truth because, after all, Brooke was reluctant to admit her feelings even to herself. “He’s not bad,” she replied with a small chuckle. “What about the dress?” Brooke asked as she smoothed down the skirt. “It doesn’t compare to the suit but it’s not half bad, right?” She chuckled and gently nudged him back. “Alright. I’ll think,” Brooke chuckled. As she tapped her fingers on the ledge a small smile crept across her face. “Elliot the smelliot,” she laughed. “Is that creative enough for you? I made up my own word so that should at leave give me extra points."
"Yeah, Clark Kent was a reporter so close enough,” Brooke nodded. As a child she wasn’t too fond of superheroes although she learnt about them through her brother. A small frown crossed her face when she remembered the times that her brother spent trying to convince her to play with his superhero toys and times when she had reluctantly agreed. She wasn’t sure how long she was wrapped up in her own thoughts but Brooke pushed the memories into the back of her mind before forcing a small but fake smile. “But yeah, I could do that. Sylvia Plath wrote The Bell Jar and that’s pretty much semi-autobiographical. I could write about my superhero adventures, or misadventures, and just make them more interesting,” she chuckled. Brooke placed a hand over her heart and laughed. “I would never lie to you Ellie.It’s frightening that you can so easily see what I want,” Brooke joked. “If you’re not wearing spandex the next time I see you then I’m going to have to turn away.” She unscrewed the cap of her drink and took a sip before placing it back between them. “Have you ever played Russian roulette? There’s a big change that the outcome’s good but you might just be unlucky and get the bullet.”
“I have to have some secrets Ellie. Otherwise you wouldn’t find me interesting,” Brooke chuckled. She listened to Elliot as he spoke and she was surprised by how quickly he answered her question, especially since she wasn’t able to do the same. Brooke didn’t have a job or any set plan for the future and she couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not, “I have no idea,” she replied with a shrug. Brooke didn’t like thinking about the future although at the same time she often found herself doing so. “I pretty much just graduated so maybe I’ll apply to go to a university. I don’t know. I might get a job or travel or… I don’t know."
Elliot chuckled and shook his head, "Are you sure about that?" he asked, "You're the only one that's seen me in a suit, twice now, so anything that I see I'll have to assume it's from you." People outside of Avira have seen him in nothing but suits, coming here and traveling, he didn't realise he would let more people see him. Once was an accident, second was a deal, and both involved her, it was odd but yet not at the same time, he felt at ease in a suit right now and he hadn't felt like that in a long time. It didn’t have any of the restrictions that came with past experiences. Elliot raised an eyebrow in slight surprise, as a smile took over his lips, "Really now? Not bad huh? Well that's something!" He chuckled. "Dress is great, as is the person," he replied smiling at her, "Definitely beats the suit by a mile, but of course, I'm beat the person by a mile," he said with a cocky shrug. When she spoke, he hung his head and covered his face with one hand, quietly chuckling to himself. "Oh no, no, it feels like I'm back in first grade," he said shaking his head in amusement and slight disappointment, "Elliot the smelliot? Really? Oh god Brookie, creative yes, but for a primary schooler! No extra points, nope. You can do better than that, can’t you?"
"There you go, you can be the Clark Kent of Avira!" As silence fell upon them, Elliot looked at her and noticed her face crease up slightly, was it something he said, he wondered. He was about to say something, when she snapped out and carried on talking, pausing for a few seconds he thought about asking her, but figured he probably shouldn’t ask what she was thinking about, so instead, he ignored it, shrugged and moved on. "You definitely could do that, make up the stories and tell them too. Wearing jeans by day and dresses by night, why you could be the next greatest thing," he said and chuckled. "It'll be a bestseller and no one will suspect a thing...well almost no one, but I’m an exception to every rule," he said giving her a playful wink. "What can I say, I have a gift. But unfortunately that doesn't cover wearing of spandex, unless of course we make another deal and you wear it too." In all of her jokes, and witty comebacks , she says things, much like what he just heard, that make him lean back and wonder about what she's been through and how quickly she had to grow up. Smiling, he faced the city, "Would you let, the possibility of something going wrong, stop you from enjoying the good things? But I've always been a risk taker. Like now for example, do you think the risk of me falling to my death, is stopping me from the enjoying the view?" he said slowly turning to face her. "Try me. You'd still be a heck of lot as interesting, even if by some chance I managed to know all your secrets.
He wished that could've been his answer, to have no idea about what to do in the future, would be the dream. His life was laid out for him, everything from what university dormitory he was going to be in, the classes he will take, and to the job that'll be waiting for him when he finishes. While to some that might seem a good life, but all he saw was no freedom. He was essentially like a caged bird. He wished he didn't know what his future would be. "Travel," he responed. "Don't go to university, don't get a job, just travel, see what the world has to offer. I would if I could."
